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Platform
Xbox
Genre
Action
Publisher
Sierra / Vivendi
Developer
Swinging Ape
Studios
ESRB
T (Teen)
Released
Q4 2003
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- Lots of mass chaos and
destruction
- 3rd person shoot-em-up at its best
- Over 40 missions and 17 unique weapons
- Ability to hijack enemies
- Did I mention its fun as hell?
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- Some annoying movement controls
may bother you a bit
- No Xbox Live
- Action is handed out in bunches, not spread out equally
- No save option during missions (only at checkpoints)
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Review: Dead to Rights (Xbox)
Review: Murakumo (Xbox)
Review: Otogi: Myth of Demons
(Xbox)
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Metal
Arms: Glitch in the System
Score: 8.4 / 10
With another year of gaming all wrapped up,
we’ll have to wait and see how 2004 will treat us. 2003 offered great
games and big blockbuster titles such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City,
Star and Wars: KOTOR along with others. However big names didn’t always
promise big fun, with some under-hyped games making a huge splash. Metal
Arms: Glitch in the System (GITS) proves to be one of those games.
Metal Arms doesn’t bring together any new elements, but perfects an
already popular style. Reminiscent of Ratchet & Clank (PS2), GITS falls
in the same category of 3rd person mayhem. You take the control of
Glitch, a small yellow robot who joins a resistance band of droids
fighting off an evil army of robots. Heavily outnumbered in size (and
arms), Glitch is placed behind enemy lines on dangerous missions to help
shift the tide of war. The story isn’t intended to have deep and
complicated meaning -- the intro does shed some creative light on the
situation, but
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locate a switch. Missions are simple and not complicated at all; they
range from rescuing POWs to destroying huge factories often with a twist
or sudden change of objectives.
(If you have a few friends over, plug in some extra controllers and
wreak havoc in 4-player split screen.)
The weapons in GITS will be sure to leave your mouth salivating. Your
standard weapon, the Mining Laser, is weak and dull. Once you get
through the initial missions, you’ll see some bigger and more powerful
weapons waiting to be utilized. Weapons like the Spew (a rapid firing
machine gun) and rocket launcher become available as you progress
through the game. My favorite weapon is not a weapon at all. Known as
the Tether, it launches a beam into enemy bots, and gives you total
control of their abilities. The best part about the roster of weapons is
the option to upgrade them by purchasing new parts. Sometimes,
immediately after destroying an enemy, you’ll see washers (metal
donut-like objects) fly out from their body. Picking up these washers go
towards acquiring new weapons, upgrades, and accessories. Upgrades to
weapons give them more firepower or less recoil. The accessories aren’t
too shabby either, ranging from grenades to scopes.
In addition to a good arsenal, GITS also has a decent amount of
vehicles. The first you’ll try is a hovercraft equipped with a pair of
clamps on its nose and a machine gun pitted in the middle. The quick and
agile vehicle makes for a quick destruction-dealing, but larger enemies
may cause you to think twice before clamping away towards them. Other
vehicles tend to carry more power and size, such as the Tank. Big in
size, slow in speed, but great power with its one shot-cannon. (Careful
on that one, turning leaves you vulnerable to attack from the sides.) My
favorite of all vehicles has an odd name, the RAT. The RAT is fast and
exceptionally powerful, though you never actually get the chance of
shooting. You use the RAT when in need of reaching a certain destination
with great speed. You take control of the steering, while your AI
buddies man the turret in the back. The missions involving this fast cat
make for great fun.
Graphically, GITS is filled with colorful moments, but for the most
part, it's a bit watered down because of the darkness of most missions
-- you'll be inside a cave or underneath a structure trying to find a
way out, leaving lots of colorless objects in the area. Not that this is
a bad thing, it does add to the mood, but it won’t leave you amazed.
GITS delivers decent sound as well, again without a lot of inspiration.
The voice acting is top-notch, featuring some hilarious sequences from
beginning to end. Other sound effects, like explosions, machines, and
weapons, remain standard. With so many weapons and accessories, GITS did
its best to have each one of them carry a distinct sound from one
another.
In a nutshell, Metal Arms: Glitch in the System is the last great game
of 2003 you’ve never heard of. It delivers quality gaming that will last
longer than other games that offer lots of eye candy, but don’t deliver
on the fundamentals: fun and simple gaming.
- Eric Lahiji
(January 20, 2004)
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